Michael Costello

If you want a piece built for galas, weddings and black-tie moments, a Michael Costello gown earns its keep. He is an American designer whose Project Runway celebrity rose into a full red-carpet practice, and his eveningwear is prized for dramatic silhouettes and detailing. Think of it as occasion-first: the value lands hardest when you actually have a red carpet of your own to walk.

Because his career was effectively made on one. Costello credits dressing Beyoncé in a white lace dress at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards in January 2014 as the turning point of his career, and he has dressed her repeatedly since. That single moment turned a reality-TV finalist into a name stylists call for award-season gowns.

Michael Costello is an American fashion designer, born January 20, 1983 in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles. He reached a wide audience on the eighth season of Project Runway, where he placed fourth, and later competed on Project Runway All Stars, finishing as first runner-up to his friend Mondo Guerra. From there he built an eveningwear label centred on celebrity dressing.

He started even earlier. By his own account Costello began designing at the age of two by drawing dresses on his bedroom walls, and at fifteen he opened his first store on North Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs. It was at that first shop that he started making custom pieces for celebrities, long before television found him.

A long red-carpet roster. Beyond Beyoncé, his early Palm Springs clients included Céline Dion, Jennifer Lopez and Toni Braxton, and he has since dressed Nicki Minaj at the 2015 American Music Awards, Meghan Trainor at the 2016 Grammys, and created looks for Cardi B, Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian. Several of his gowns are on display at the Grammy Museum at L.A. Live.

Yes, and with an Emmy to show for it. In 2016 he collaborated with costume designer Lou Eyrich to design gowns for Lady Gaga on American Horror Story, work that led to a Primetime Emmy Award win for Outstanding Costumes for a Contemporary Series, Limited Series or Movie. It is a useful signal that his craft holds up under screen scrutiny, not just on a step-and-repeat.

If you like to buy with eyes open, yes. Costello has been the subject of multiple public feuds, including accusations of bullying from singer Leona Lewis after she did not fit one of his dresses, and a complaint from model Shereen Wu that he altered her appearance using AI. These are reputational matters rather than reflections on a specific garment, so weigh them as you see fit.

Because that is where the whole thing began. Costello moved to Palm Springs at fifteen and opened his first store there, and the city later honoured him with a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars in March 2017, plus the key to the city and a declared Michael Costello Day. The desert city is less a footnote and more his origin story.

Lead with the occasion, not the rack. His strength is the statement evening gown, so start with the event you actually need to dress for and let the silhouette follow. Because these are dramatic, fitted pieces, pay close attention to your measurements and the sizing notes before committing, and treat them as keepsake occasion wear rather than everyday staples.

Build in lead time rather than chasing a date. Eveningwear like this is bought for a fixed event, so order well ahead of your gala or wedding to leave room for fit checks and any alterations. End-of-season windows tend to widen the selection of past collections if you are flexible, but for a specific occasion, certainty of fit beats waiting for a markdown.